A 'Zoo Year's Eve' to remember

Palm Beach Zoo hosts its first New Year's Eve celebration for kids

December 31, 2013|By Attiyya Anthony, Sun Sentinel

About 100 kids raised their glass to the New Year.

But instead of champagne, of course, it was apple juice. And instead of watching the ball drop at midnight, the kids watched a box drop at noon at the Palm Beach Zoo's first ever "Zoo Year's Eve" celebration on Tuesday.

"The little ones are kind of left out of the fun for the holiday," said Claudia Harden, marketing manager at the Palm Beach Zoo. "They usually miss out and have to be in bed before the ball drops."

The Palm Beach Zoo's New Year's Eve midday event included a dance party, the noon apple juice toast, games, crafts and face painting. The celebration will continue on Wednesday, with a birthday party for two North American bears and a Florida panther.

Kristina Bailey, 40, brought her daughter, her daughter's best friend and her godchildren to the party on Tuesday.

"We were at the zoo anyways and we stumbled on this," she said. "The kids are just having a great time running, playing and winning prizes."

Bailey said that the kids are old enough to stay up until midnight, but the midday toast is another way for the kids to ring in the New Year.

Joseph Bridges, 8, Bailey's godson, raised his glass and looked back at the good times he had in 2013 and the good times to come in 2014.

"My favorite part of 2013 was going to Disney for my birthday," he said. "And I'm looking forward to getting a big pack of fireworks in 2014."

Brittney Bailey, 12, and her best friend, Allison Iannacone, 12, said they had fun celebrating New Year's early, but the pair didn't have any specific resolutions.

"My resolution is just to live every day," Iannacone said.

For some families, the Zoo Year's Eve party was just the start to a day of festivities.

Micki Foreman, 35, brought her three children to the Palm Beach Zoo for their first New Year's toast. They'll have another toast at 6 p.m. to celebrate New Year's in Paris.

"We'll be celebrating a bunch of New Year's," she said.

The New Year celebration will continue on Wednesday when the zoo will have a birthday party for Lewis and Clark, the zoo's North American black bear brothers. and Micco, a Florida panther.

Renee Padilla, a volunteer face-painter, thought the event was a great way for families to kick-off the New Year. Her 1-year-old niece played in the water fountains and got a chance to run around with the other kids.

"The best part is just seeing all the happy kids and families enjoying themselves," she said.